MAPs 1 Daily Practices

As an authorized and affiliated UCLA MARC, MAPs teacher, I have the great privilege of offering in person, on-site, MAPs classes. Students are able to experience the mindfulness and meditation practices offered within the program in person and with an experienced teacher. They also have the opportunity to strengthen their capacity to self-social regulate while surrounded by a supportive community.

Program is suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced mindfulness and meditation students.

Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) Classes OverviewMindful Awareness Practices are the signature educational programs of the Mindful Awareness Research Center. These six-week class series are open to the public and to all UCLA staff, faculty, and students. The classes lay the foundation for students to understand basic principles of mindfulness, develop a personal meditation practice, and to apply the principles in their daily life on an ongoing basis.

Each class is a combination of lecture, practice, and group feedback and discussion. MAPs is taught in a context of a supportive community environment with classes no larger than 30-40 students. Students report that the group support was one of the most helpful and inspiring aspects of the class. Our MAPs instructors have years of personal experience practicing mindfulness and teaching it nationally and internationally. MAPs is helpful for people of all backgrounds and religions. These classes are suitable for ages 16 and over.

Class StructureMAPs classes meets weekly for two hours per week for six weeks. Students will complete daily home practice meditation assignments starting at five minutes a day and working up to 20 minutes daily by the end of the course.

Students will learn Mindful concepts that include:Overview of MindfulnessMindfulness of the BodyObstacles to MindfulnessMindfulness to help with Physical Pain Working with Difficult EmotionsCultivating Positive Emotions Working with Difficult ThoughtsMindful Interactions

Students will also learn a variety of mindfulness practices so that the student can discover which practice is useful to them. Practices taught include:Sitting meditationEating meditationDaily life meditations Relational mindfulness Walking meditationStanding meditationMovement meditationPractices to develop positive emotions

UCLA, MAPs ll

MAPs II: Cultivating Positive EmotionsThis MAPs II class emphasizes heart-based qualities that complement mindfulness and can be cultivated through meditation practices. We will explore the science and practice of how to develop more equanimity, kindness, generosity, compassion, and gratitude, in ways that allow us to begin right where we are in our lives, and right where we are in the moment. Far from 'fake it 'til you feel it', these practices, arising from mindfulness meditation contemplative traditions, are backed by science from research labs at Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the University of Wisconsin - Madison, among others. Learn how to naturally experience and express positive emotions that are our natural birthright, even amidst the turmoil of our times.

We will learn new meditations to develop these qualities, tools to work with when we find them ourselves stuck and not feeling positive emotions, and practical exercises to incorporate them into our daily life. This is a helpful expansion to our basic mindfulness practice.

Pre-requisite: Attendance in any introductory MAPs I series or equivalent mindfulness introductory class with permission from our instructor. If you have not taken a MAPs I class at MARC, please email us a brief description of your equivalent experience to info@melanieyetter.com before class start date.